Columns

I was in the midst of writing a holiday letter to one of my best long-time friends and classmates, when I realized we’re turning 60 years old this year. Surely not.
Surely we’re still in Mr. Laney’s eighth-grade class at the old A. E. Phillips lab...

As the parent of a 14 year old daughter myself, I can relate to many parents out there that struggle with trying to make sure they are meeting the needs of their teenager so that she/he will grow into a confident and self-sufficient adult.
We...

Teamwork is one of those things that I feel is an underestimated tool. Putting your faith and trust in others is not always easy, but it can save a lot of stress and produce benefits that wouldn’t be possible with a solitary person.

Sometimes advice from a “Rowdy” new friend is all a young person needs.
Especially when the “Rowdy” new friend is famous and the young person really has no idea of why.
That was the case last week for some students at Ruston Junior High as three-...

Consider with me what life in this community was like 20 years ago.
The blueprint of both the city and the campus of Louisiana Tech University were both very different. Our downtown has been revitalized with new businesses and landscapes, old...

As with most people, shortly after my husband and I got married, I moved into a new apartment. We had purchased a ton of really cute stamps with wedding rings on them for both our invitations and our thank you notes.

Recently I lost a friend from Claiborne Parish. This friendship lasted more than 40 years. It is not often that persons from separate generations have true friends, one generation to the other, but this was one of those instances for me. Actually...

Question: I’m not sure our economy can sustain the kind of growth we’ve been seeing. Is there anything I can do now to get ready for hard times ahead?
Answer: You can’t change the national economy around you. But you can improve your own personal...

Even if you didn’t take Economics 101 in college, just navigating through the past several years has given you hands-on experience with one of the course’s most valuable lessons: The rise and fall of interest rates is one of the biggest factors...

As we get closer to April 15, the tax-filing deadline, you may be wondering about the effects of some of your actions on the amount of taxes you pay.
Of course, you don’t have total command of some key tax-related components, such as your earned...

Ron Howard formally connected with Tech emailed me about Wiley Hilburn’s death. When I began to reminisce about all the ways Wiley and I have been connected, it really made me sad.
Have you ever had a friend that you’ve not been close to on a daily...

Several weeks ago, our Pastor, Dr. Reggie Bridges, preached a sermon on Hebrews 11. For those who are not familiar with that chapter, it contains what has become known as the “Hall of Faith.” The Scripture records names of people who lived long ago...

At just Green Clinic’s main location there have been 297 confirmed cases of the flu since September 2013.
That is nearly 300 in less than four months. Lab Director Tammy Singleton keeps track of how many cases are reported day in and day out.
For...

This past summer, I assisted a friend with preparing a few dancers for a competition. My job was to critique each of the kids’ performance and do a mock interview.
The first couple of dancers (girls) went through the process effortlessly. The third...

Moving to a new place can be a scary thing. It’s not just about taking your physical being and placing it in an unfamiliar environment; it’s the uprooting of your entire life. The elements involved seem endless: new workplace, new house, new friends...

Of all the issues with which municipalities must deal, zoning may be one of the trickiest. That’s because when it comes to telling somebody what they can and can’t do with their property, things can get mighty personal real quickly.
Ruston has had...

There are many Lincoln Parish 4-H Club programs that offer opportunities to young people.
The important thing to remember about 4-H programs is that the key component is the benefits that they bring to our young people in the parish. The number one...

Laughter through tears.
It was something I experienced a lot over the past weekend — something many journalism types from all over the country experienced as they paid tribute to one the field’s giants — late Louisiana Tech journalism department...

As my plane sped along the tracks from the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia, I smiled. One day after Christmas I flew to Washington, D.C., for the winter leadership conference hosted by American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
My...

This is what I call a cold, dreary, lazy day here in Dallas. I’m not sure how it will be when you read this. It’ll be different — that’s for sure. Every day here is.
People are dying here from the flu, so except for church, I am trying to stay in. A...